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Common idioms in English

November 2, 2016 pdf

Here are some idiomatic expressions

Hot under the collar

When you are hot under the collar, you are angry or annoyed.

  • He behaved as if he was hot under the collar.

In hot water

When you are in hot water, you are in trouble.

  • His support for divisive politics landed him in hot water.

Get on like a house on fire

When two people get on like a house on fire, they enjoy a very good relationship.

  • Martha and her sister-in-law get on like a house on fire.

Put your house in order

To put your house in order is to make necessary reforms.

  • Before telling me how I should raise my children, she should really put her house in order.

Eat humble pie

To eat humble pie is to make a humble apology.

  • He kept boasting that he would beat me in the dual but in the end he had to eat humble pie.

Out of humor

When somebody is out of humor, they are in a bad mood.

  • I left him alone because he was out of humor.

Get the hump

To get the hump is to become annoyed.

  • I don’t enjoy the company of Martin. He gets the hump easily.

Hunt someone down

To hunt someone down is to chase and capture them.

  • He was hunted down by the police.

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